MVPs know that sometimes nothing can take the place of in-person, hands-on experience with technology, so many are instrumental in bringing important conferences to the community throughout the year—including these highly-regarded SharePoint events.

While MVPs are well-known for their far-reaching voice in online and social media channels, it’s at in-person events that many MVPs truly shine. They know that sometimes community has to see technology in action, watch presenters live, and have the opportunity to catch up with an expert after a presentation to gain a more nuanced understanding of today’s technology.

That’s why events such as the major SharePoint conferences which happened recently in the United Kingdom, Australia, and France are so important to the technical community.

This year, for the fifth consecutive year, United Kingdom SharePoint Server MVP Steve Smith organized the SharePoint Evolution Conference. This year’s event attracted nearly 1,000 attendees, who had the opportunity to hear from and gain hands-on knowledge from Steve and many other MVPs.

In Australia, 12 local MVPs provided highly successful sessions at two separate two-day SharePoint conferences in Sydney and Melbourne. New Zealand SharePoint Server MVP Debbie Ireland reprised her role as a major organizing force, as she has for many years, at bringing important SharePoint events to Australia and South East Asia.

And this year, for the first time, France gained a dedicated SharePoint event thanks to the efforts of French SharePoint Server MVPs Xavier Vanneste and Pierre Vivier-Merle. Altogether 18 MVPs contributed their expertise as presenters at the event.